1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to fishing lures, and more particularly, to a weight-forward fishing lure having a deformable body which may be adjusted in shape to vary the path the lure travels through the water.
2. Summary of Related Art
In the sport of fishing, the bait is generally either in the form of an artificial lure fabricated in various forms and shapes such as plugs, jigs, spinners, flies, and the like, or in some form of edible substance, such as worms and fish bait, including minnows and larger fish species.
In recent years, one of the most popular types of lures has been the plastic lures which may be utilized as trailers on host lures such as spinner bait lures, or with lead jig heads of various size and shape having a hook embedded therein. The plastic lures are constructed by injection molding techniques and are designed to simulate worms and other swimming creatures.
The plastic lures are used in cooperation with a lead sinker which is placed on the fishing line immediately above the hook with the hook projected through the fishing lure in one of many possible configurations. The lead sinker causes the lure and hook to sink to the bottom of a lake and the lure is retrieved using a variety of rod actions, depending on the type of fish sought, the water depth, and the weather conditions.
Plastic lures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,607 to Hedman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,100 to Green, Sr.
Many types of fishing jigs are known in the prior art, and a number of these jigs have a relatively heavy or dense body portion which acts as a stabilizing weight. The body portion includes an anchor point for the eye to which the retrieving line is secured. A second eye secured to the body portion functions as a swivel situs to which a hook is swivelly connected. In order to disguise the hook and/or attract fish to the lure, some jigs of this type also have buck tails or skirts attached to the lure body.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,751,789 and 4,920,688 to Devereaux et al, for example, disclose a fishing lure which includes a heavy lure body having a nonuniform shape. When the lure is rested during retrieval, the body portion of the lure will rest nose down on the bottom of the lake.
The path and depth at which a lure is drawn through the water is an important factor when fishing. Depending on the time of day, the weather conditions, the temperature of the water, and other factors, the desired species of fish will be found at different depths in the lake. Fishermen have a variety of procedures for changing the path and depth at which they are fishing, including the design and weight of the lure. Fishermen will change lures to get the desired depth and action for attracting and catching fish.
The weight and shape of the lure determine whether a lure is a surface lure, an intermediate depth lure, or a bottom lure for fishing the bottom of a lake. When the fish are not biting, the fishermen will use a variety of lures and fishing techniques in order to catch fish. Once a lure is attached to a fishing line, it is often inconvenient and time consuming to change a lure.
In order to attract fish to the lure, a number of different features are often incorporated into the design of a lure. The color, motion, and odor of the lure are generally considered important in attracting fish. The lures often simulate the movement of fish or other forms of live bait when the lures are pulled through the water. Depending on the water conditions, weather conditions, and time of day, different colors of lures are often more or less successful than other colors. Lures may be specially designed to facilitate the use of live bait in conjunction with the lure.